Pizza Margherita (Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella Pizza)

This most iconic of pizzas is topped with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil
leaves, the colors of the Italian flag. This recipe first appeared in our May 2013
issue with Keith Pandolfi’s article The Gold of Naples.

Yield: makes Four 10" Pizzas

Ingredients:

1 recipe Naples-style pizza dough

Fine semolina, for dusting
1 recipe Naples-style pizza sauce
1 lb. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
16 fresh basil leaves
Olive oil, to taste

Instructions:

Place a pizza stone under the broiler; heat for 30 minutes. Working in 4 batches,
dust 1 ball dough with semolina. Using your fingertips, press dough into a 10″
circle about 1⁄4” thick, leaving a 1″ crust around the edges.

Hold dough straight up, and with fingertips circling crust, slide fingers around
crust in a circular motion as you would turn a steering wheel until dough in the
center is stretched to about 1⁄8” thick; transfer to a semolina-dusted pizza peel.
Spread 1⁄2 cup sauce over dough, and distribute a quarter each of the cheese and
basil leaves; drizzle with oil.

Slide pizza onto stone; broil until cheese melts and crust is puffed and charred in
spots, 3-4 minutes. Serve hot.